


A Whole New Life

by Bittie752



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Angst, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-19
Updated: 2013-09-18
Packaged: 2017-12-27 00:33:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 6,515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/972184
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bittie752/pseuds/Bittie752
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A misunderstanding leads Rose to believe that there is no future for her and the Metacrisis Doctor. Will he be able to convince her otherwise?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Five different pictures sat on the table, mocking her. Five pictures of the Doctor with his arms around other women, two of whom she knew from Torchwood. Both of them were considered man eaters. Three of them she had never seen before. The last picture hurt the most; he had his lips locked onto some thin, well-dressed brunette.

Her dad's contacts at some of the gossip rags had sent her the pictures. Unfortunately, they weren't able to stop the pictures from going to the press. And by tomorrow morning, all of London and a good part of Britain would see the Tyler heiress' so-called boyfriend's transgressions. She could see the headlines now, all branding him a cheater.

It couldn't be considered cheating, though, no matter what the press might think. You had to be in a relationship with someone in order to cheat on them. And no one on this flat was in a relationship, at least not with each other. Bloody hell, he'd spent more time flirting with the waitress at dinner last night then he had with her the entire time they had been in this universe.

Why had she deluded herself to think that his confession on that damn beach had meant anything? That the kiss had meant anything to him other than just another in a long line of snogs? She was just another in a long line of disposable 'companions', apparently.

It wasn't liked he'd kissed her since that day on the beach. Even the hand holding and the hugs had started to trickle off in the three months since they had come back to this Universe. Rose and the Doctor now gave every appearance of having personal space, unlike before she had been trapped here. There had been a time that the pair had seemed inseparable. Except when he went to flirt with trees, or French consorts or old companions, people who were not her.

She thought that this Doctor was staying so they could spend their lives together. So that they could have the one adventure the fully Time Lord Doctor couldn't. She had hoped that they would have a relationship, but she had been very wrong. After everything Rose had been through to get back with him and this is what she got. Dumped off with someone else who obviously didn't want her?

The other Doctor had steadfastly refused to finish that sentence on the beach. He had left her without a good-bye again. Maybe it was her turn to leave him without one.

Leaving the pictures on the table, Rose stood up. Holding her head tall, she strode into the bedroom and pulled out a suitcase and a cardboard box. Her flat was still relatively void of personal possessions. In the years that she had spent working on the dimension cannon, she had simply used this place to sleep, eat and shower.

The only things she held dear were the thumb drive full of pictures she had kept on her person at all times and the Doctor's psychic paper that had been in her pocket at Canary Wharf. The battered wallet that contained it was currently in her pocket and what had once been an object of comfort now burned against her thigh.

Most of the miscellaneous stuff currently occupying various flat surfaces was the Doctor's. He had been making himself comfortable in her flat but not in her life.

Opening her drawers, she shoved a few essentials into the suitcase and the rest into the box. She continued to do that in the bathroom and the living room. It only took twenty minutes for her to have everything that she wanted to take with her was packed. Checking her phone, she saw that it was nearly midnight. She had not seen or heard from the Doctor since 8am that morning and she had exactly zero missed calls or messages. Further proof that she wasn't needed by this Doctor, by any Doctor.

Stopping at the desk, she grabbed an envelope, sheet of paper and a pen. She sat down at the table and began to write.

_Doctor,_

This, whatever this is, isn't working. And it's obvious that it's not what you want either.

I need space, permanent space. So I'm leaving. Not quite sure where I'm going yet but I'm sure there is plenty of adventure to find out there on this planet.

Please keep the flat if you want. It's paid for, so no mortgage. I'll find someplace else whenever/if ever I come back.

I hope that you make that one life you have to live worth it.

Rose

With a small sigh, she folded the letter and tucked it into the envelope along with the pictures. She addressed the note to the Doctor and left it and the psychic paper on the bare coffee table in the living room.

Time to grow the hell up, Rose thought, taking one last look around. A single tear escaped her eye as she realized that this morning might have been the last time she would ever see the Doctor.

He was good at running away, and she hardly expected him to stay put once she relived him of his obligation to her. And this time she wouldn't go looking for him. Picking up the box and her suitcase, Rose stepped out of the door and into a new life.


	2. Chapter 2

It had been nine days since he had found her note. Well, nine days, seven hours, fourteen minutes, twenty-two seconds, to be exact. Add sixteen hours, give or take, to that and that was how long it had been since he'd seen her.  
  
It had been just after midnight when the Doctor had quietly slipped into their flat, into their home. One that wasn't bigger on the inside but one that had her in it. It had been a long day and he hadn't wanted to wake her. So he tip toed across the living room and into the second bedroom, his room.  
  
Soon he had changed into his striped Jim-jams and had snuck back out to stand outside her door. It was his nightly tradition; after he knew she was asleep, he would slip past her door and sit on her bed. He didn't stay long, just enough to convince himself that she was really there and not a universe away. Sometimes he would and cup her cheek and tell her how much he loved her, how much he had missed her.  
  
All those things that he desperately wanted to tell her when she was awake. All those things that one day he would tell her, one day soon. For now he was taking it slow. Letting her adjust to the fact that he had split into two people. He wanted to give her the courtship she deserved, the respect that she deserved.  
  
It was an old Gallifreyan custom, outdated even in his time. Four months, at least that was the Earth time equivalent, of showing your beloved that you were interested based on showing them a formal level of respect. It had been torturing him not to touch her like he wanted to. He had to rein in his penchant for hugging and even hand holding, lest he snog her senseless and drag her to bed.  
  
Oh, how he wanted to snog her senseless.  
  
Sure, he'd been a little frustrated in their lack of physical contact, but he had thought things were going rather well. So that night nine days ago, he had been shocked that she wasn't there. He'd been in a blind panic after opening her door and finding her bed made and her missing from it.  
  
He was on the verge of calling Jackie when he found the envelope. And when he read her words, his single human heart shattered. How could she just leave? Was it the photos? If that was it, then why had she not confronted him with them first? He could explain. In fact, that was where he had been that day, dealing with that rat of a paparazzi that had been setting up a few of these encounters. That woman had actually been the one who had forcibly kissed him for that picture.  
  
Oh, why hadn't Rose just come to him? Let him tell her what happened?  
  
Why, instead, had she packed away all of her possessions, leaving the majority of them in a box in her car? A car that had been left in her spot downstairs.  
  
Had she been taken by force? This question had haunted him until the next morning when Jackie and Pete had shown up. Immediately Jackie had slapped him and then read him the riot act for whatever he had done to Rose.  
  
Pete had been more sympathetic after years of having dealt Jackie Tyler, in one form or another. He'd told the Doctor that when things in London got to be too much, Rose would take off. No one knew where she went except for Mickey, and he was tight lipped about where she went. Rose would, however, make sure to call her mother every few days. The call was always untraceable.  
  
Pete suspected that she had several aliases . And that nugget of information had been the Doctor's jumping off point. He knew that Rose had access to all of Torchwood's assets and her alternate ID would be flawless.  
  
Oh, yes, it was good; her alter ego was almost perfect. She had built an entire new life that she could seamlessly transition into if she needed to. That was why it took him eight and a half days to find her. In Italy, of all places.  
  
Rose had been making her way across Europe, never staying in one place more than two nights in a row. Tonight was night two at this little inn. Her rental car was still parked outside and check out was in ten minutes. All he had left to do was wait, remember to breathe and pray to deities he didn't believe in that she would at least talk to him.


	3. Chapter 3

Rose stretched as she woke to the sun streaming through the windows. The ache in her chest was still just as oppressive as it had been every morning since she had left London. Sometimes it was worse than the ache she'd had when she first got stuck here. Maybe that was because she knew that he was somewhere stuck on this rock, in this universe with her.

He might as well be closed off in another universe, though. At least then she could delude herself that he cared about her the way she cared about him.

Stop it! She couldn't go down this road again. It wasn't worth having her heart handed back to her in shreds for the umpteenth time.

Time to move on, she'd already spent two nights at this lovely place. Any more than that right now may be a risk. Not that she actually believed he'd actually come after her (although a small traitorous part of her hoped he would).

He wouldn't, though, not when he seemingly had so many 'companions' already in line. He'd probably been with one of them the night that she left. That would explain why he wasn't home at midnight.

Taking a deep breath to quell the newly formed tears, she took off for the en-suite. Mindlessly she began her daily routine, take a shower, get dressed, pack up and move on.

Forty-five minutes later, she was dressed in tan linen pants, a floral button down top and high-heeled strappy sandals, with her now dark brown hair elegantly coiffed. She looked much more the part of an heiress now then she ever had when she was in London. And the shop girl from the Powell Estate would never recognize her. Her new wardrobe, which she had bought after leaving London, was a far cry from the jeans and hoodies she used to wear, and her shoes were no longer chosen for her ability to run in them.

Looking down at her watch, she noted she had ten minutes until check out. Rose snapped the clasp on her suitcase and headed downstairs. The clerk greeted her in Italian, and Rose responded in kind. It wasn't just temporal physics that she has studied during her time trapped here. She had developed a flair for languages and a passion for history.

The man behind the counter had easily flirted with her and she would be remiss to say that she didn't enjoy the attention. A small smile played on her lips as she stepped outside into the sunshine. Maybe she could move on.

She didn't look up as she placed her sunglasses on her face. If she would have, she would have noticed the lanky man, wearing jeans, a t-shirt with a half buttoned Oxford over it and Chucks. A man who was leaning casually against her car. Maybe she would have recognized the man she knew all too well before he recognized her.

"I like the new look. Not very Rose Tyler but it still suits you very well." It was unmistakably her voice. Dammit!

Reluctantly she looked up to see that smug, smiling face of the Doctor. He looked like he thought he won. Well, this wasn't a game this was her life. "Maybe it doesn't look like Rose Tyler because she doesn't exist anymore. She died in that other universe at Canary Wharf. You said so yourself." Maneuvering around him, she placed her suitcase in the boot and slammed it closed. "I figured she wasn't supposed to exist here, so why try to force it anymore."

"Oh, no, you chose a new name, didn't you?" He drummed lightly on the top of the car. "Not one I would have expected, Jeanne Antoinette."

"Reinette died in early childhood here, I figured Mickey would be the only one who would get the connection. Now it's more of a reminder." She unlocked her side on the car. "And don't worry, your precious mademoiselle wasn't murdered by clockwork droids, it was scarlet fever. Now that we're done with the history lesson, I have to go." She slid into the driver's seat and turned the engine over when she heard the familiar sound of the sonic screw driver.

Of course she had forgotten that he'd nicked a spare from the TARDIS before they had been left here. Well, he had insisted that the TARDIS was the one who had made sure he was well stocked for his new life. The arrogant sod had slipped into the passenger seat before she could slam the car into gear.

He still had a smile on his face (although not as large as the one he had donned earlier,) as he arranged his rucksack at his feet. "Where are we heading next?" The tone of his voice sounded genuinely curious.

For several long seconds, she stared at him. Did he think that this was just another part of their adventure? Did he actually believe that she wanted him here? That she had left him, changed her appearance and her name just so he could trod after her?

The Doctor on his side of the car made a big production of buckling his lap belt and then he looked at her with that hyperactive puppy face he was known for. It looked like he wasn't going anywhere soon.

Well, that didn't mean she had to like it or that she had to listen to him. Without answering his question, she maneuvered the car onto the road and turned the radio on full blast.


	4. Chapter 4

Okay, so whatever had caused Rose to leave apparently had also made her very angry at him. She had barely looked at him since she had started driving almost an hour ago. And he was pretty sure that the fast driving and loud music weren't points in his favor. It also troubled him that she said the name that she had chosen was a reminder. A reminder of what exactly?

Quickly he took stock of what he knew.

Rose was angry, and it might have something to do with the photos.

After having spent years dimension jumping to find him, she now wanted nothing to do with him.

She had, in fact, gone so far as to change her name and appearance to get away from him.

Apparently he was way past what Jack had once called the 'buy her something pretty and she'll forgive you' fight. Not that he hadn't bought her several pretty things before tracking her down. Just in case, of course.

Over the last few days, he'd been going through all of the relationship advice Jack had ever given him. None of those tidbits seemed to apply. Most of them had to do with telling her how he felt and taking her to the nearest bed.

No matter how many fantasies he'd had about that exact situation, or variations thereof, it wouldn't work here. For one thing, he'd already told her how he felt. And right now, if he tried to make a move on her, he was fairly certain that she would chuck him out of this moving vehicle. Strike that; she would chuck him out and run over him for good measure.

Time to think of another plan.

Over the next hour, he carefully went over the details of the last three months trying to understand where he went wrong. Of course, the incessant blaring music from the radio was breaking his concentration.

Finally he'd had enough and he flipped off the radio. "Rose, can we just talk about why you left?"

"We've never done the blow by blow replay before. Why start now?" she said, sounding a bit resigned and more than a little bitter.

"Because I need to know why you just left. With only a note." He held his breath while he waited to see what she had to say.

Rose snorted. "I'm not having this argument while I'm driving."

"Why does it have to be an argument?" he asked.

"Trust me, if you want to talk about why I left, there will be an argument."

He didn't respond and she soon turned the radio back on, although not as loud as before.

A few more long minutes later, he turned off the radio again. Then the Doctor turned back to Rose. "Can we talk about it anyway? Even if it turns into an argument. Please?"

Silence. Her eyes kept darting back and forth between him and the road. His heart stopped while he waited for her to answer.

"Will you go?" She took a deep breath. "If we talk about this, will you please just go away?"

"Rose…" How could she ask him that? How was it possible that his heart was breaking more?

"That's the deal. Take it or leave it. Either way, I want you to go by tonight. I need to move on, Doctor, and I can't do that with you near me."

It was hard to fight back the tears that stung his eyes at her declaration. He'd given up so much when he was left here, mostly travel in time and space, and his TARDIS. But gaining Rose, getting to have a life with her, really with her, had made the decision to be here easy.

Now he might have lost her, not to another universe but because of something that he had done. And he wasn't even sure what _exactly_ it was that he had done.

But she had agreed to talk to him. He had a shot to fix this. A chance to convince her that he loved her and would do anything for her. Even if that meant walking away because she didn't love him anymore.

"Alright, if after we've cleared the air you still want me to leave, I will." Now he just had to make sure she didn't want him to go anywhere, unless she was by his side.


	5. Chapter 5

Rose pulled into the car park outside her destination not long after the Doctor had agreed to leave after they talked. She'd actually made a reservation at this hotel, instead of just seeing one she liked and staying there.

The innkeeper of a place she'd stayed at three days ago had told her that if you needed to clear you head, this was the place to go. It was a secluded seaside villa with individual bungalows, all with amazing views.

Originally, her plan had been to spend a week here basking in the sunshine and enjoying the ocean while trying to get over the man who was now trailing behind her like a lost puppy.

Now she needed privacy so he could say what he needed to say. Then she could pack him off in a taxi pointed towards the nearest zeppelin port and she could hightail it out of here first thing in the morning.

The Doctor had stayed a respectable distance away while she checked into her room. The clerk, a pretty Italian woman, had made a comment about how lucky she was to have such a handsome man with her. Rose had given the lady a small smile and simply picked up her suitcase and headed towards her bungalow.

"This is very nice," the Doctor said as he dropped his rucksack by the front door. The view from here is beautiful."

"Yes, well neither of us is going to be staying here very long." She placed her own bag on the end of the bed. Steeling herself for whatever he had to say, she crossed her arms over her chest and stared him down. "Alright, exactly what do you want to talk about?"

"Well, you see, I think that we may have had some… misunderstandings." The Doctor began the trifecta of rambling, pacing and hand waving. "I really think we have a few things to clear up and I have an explanation for those pictures."

"Oh, I'll bet you do," Rose mumbled.

The Doctor turned on his heel and faced her. "What did you mean the name is a reminder?"

She sighed. "It's just a reminder that I'm not unique or special, just another in a long line. A reminder that I'm replaceable."

"Oh, Rose…" he groaned.

"It's fine," she ground out. "I get it. You're amazing, a genius, lonely, intriguing and very, very pretty." Tears stung her eyes, but she fought them back. "I got too close. I see that now. You kept sending me away and I wouldn't listen."

"No, no, no," he stammered, but she wasn't going to let him stop her.

"You said it was impossible to cross the Void but it wasn't, I did it over and over again. But you probably didn't mean impossible, you meant 'stay put because there's nothing between us'."

"Rose." His voice cracked over her name. "How could you think that?" Several tears rolled down his face. "I spent months looking for ways to come back to you and spent every moment after you had gone mourning. Martha would tell you I was a right 'emo mess', whatever that means."

Pausing, he took in a deep breath. "I meant what I said on that beach." He took a few steps towards her. "Rose Tyler, I love you, unconditionally, unequivocally and forever."

The ache in her chest shifted. What if she had been wrong?

But that still didn't explain his behavior. If he loved her, then why was he treating her this way? "Then why have you been treating me like a leper?"

"That's not… That's not what I was doing, not at all." The Doctor stepped even closer and she fought the new urge to close the gap.

Instead she forced herself to take a step back. "Then what was it? Ever since we left that God-forsaken beach, you have been pushing me further and further away. At one time we were almost glued to one another, now you won't even touch me. Not to mention that you are kissing other women." Now she was yelling. The image of him with his lips on another woman's spurred her anger. "And that must be a pretty common occurrence for you to get caught on camera doing it."

"Wait, wait, wait. Hold on just a tick." The Doctor held up his hands and stepped very close to her. "That's not what happened."

Angrily, Rose pushed him away and he stumbled backwards. "Well it bloody well sounds like something you'd do."

The Doctor physically recoiled at her words. "Guess I deserved that," he mumbled, moving towards the door. Rose half expected him to leave now that he realized she wasn't going to roll over and allow him to treat her like that. Instead, he surprised her by pulling a small tablet computer out of the depths of his rucksack. Must be bigger on the inside, she snorted.

"That's where I was that day," he said, coming back over to her, but staying more than an arm's length away. "That woman had been stalking me." He pulled up what looked like the woman's biography and handed over the computer.

"She's a reporter, looking for a story. She caught a couple women on the street hugging me because I'm 'Rose Tyler's boyfriend'. Apparently, that made them want to hug me. Those two women from Torchwood, well, they're more than a bit handsy, but I let them know I was unavailable."

He took the tablet back and pulled up another file. "So that woman got a few pictures of women hugging me and she figured she could weave together a story of my infidelity. And that morning she ambushed me, right after you left the restaurant."

Once more he handed the computer back to her. It showed a picture of him pushing the woman off of him. He leaned over and flicked to the next image. This one showed him yelling at the reporter. Rose's stomach rolled.

"I spent that day, the day you left, trying to convince her publisher not publish those pictures. He seemed to think the argument ones would be a much better story. Simply refused to see reason, in the end." the Doctor ducked his head and looked sheepish. "There may have been an untraceable computer virus that made its way onto their server and permanently erased all their files."

Silently, Rose handed the tablet to him and she staggered back to sit on the end of the bed. "But why haven't you been touching me? No hugs, no hand holding. Nothing," she sobbed.

"It seems stupid now." He'd moved to sit next to her.

"Tell me." Rose had to know.

"It's an ancient tradition, hasn't been used for a very long time, outdated even." He swallowed. "It's the first step in a courting ritual. Four months of respectful reverence as a sign that you intended to… bond with your chosen partner."

"I thought you didn't want me." She felt sick. "You should have told me."

"I know, Rose, and I'm sorry. I should have been completely honest with you. In my defense I was going to tell you about the reporter and the kissing. It's why I kept those pictures." Gently he reached over and took her hand. "Please forgive me."

He still wanted her, still loved her, and she had run out on him. She squeezed his hand and silently vowed that she would never lose faith in him again. "Yeah." Her voice wasn't much more than a whisper.  



	6. Chapter 6

After her affirmation of forgiveness, the Doctor finally felt like he could breathe again.

"I'm sorry too," Rose said, raising her free hand to his cheek. "I shouldn't have left, but I was so hurt. I thought you didn't want me."

"Stop." He pulled her in close to him. She was practically sitting in his lap. After three months here with very little physical contact and three years without her in this universe, the feel of the heat from her body was almost overwhelming. "I will always want you, always."

Her hand on his cheek slid to the back of his neck. Her finger curled into his hair, and gently she pulled his head down. Their lips gently met, and they were at a stalemate, both afraid to make the next move.

"Sod it," he mumbled and pulled her further against him. His lips gently moved against hers, until his tongue moved to tease her lips apart. She eagerly complied, letting him slide into her mouth as she moaned. They hadn't kissed since that day at the beach. That kiss had about years of not acting on their feelings, and it was a celebration of his declaration of love. Not chaste by any means but not gratuitous, her mum and Donna had been watching.

This kiss was about need and desire and not one for anyone else to see. Languidly, he explored the contours of her mouth, the feel of her teeth and the pliability of her lips. He also catalogued all the little noises that she made, learning what she liked. Eventually they broke for air and to his relief Rose didn't pull away. Instead she had let her head loll back, exposing the creamy skin of her neck. Unable to hold back, his lips and tongue tasted, licked, nipped and sucked at this new territory.

Their hands roamed up and down each other's bodies. His skimmed her hips, before sliding onto her bum for a quick squeeze. Hers had found their way between them and were unbuttoning his Oxford. Quickly she had slid it off his shoulders. A moan escaped from one of them. The Doctor wasn't sure which of them had made the noise and he really didn't care. Savoring every last second of his exploration, he realized that the reality was so much better than any fantasy he had ever had.

"Please, Doctor," Rose murmured as she yanked on his hair, pulling him back up to her mouth. He happily obliged and was pleased when her tongue invaded his mouth this time. They tangled and dueled for dominance. Her fingers traced patterns across his thighs and up his spine. His fingers toyed with the hem of her shirt before sliding underneath. The skin of her stomach was so warm under his palm.

"Don't make me leave you, Rose. Never want to leave you," the Doctor pleaded as he once again broke their kiss. "I want you, always, in every way."

To his dismay, Rose stilled the ministrations of her hands and pulled away from him. His hands slid out from under her shirt as she rose to stand in front of him. "Doctor." Tears pooled in her eyes. "I promise you that I will never leave you and that I will never make you leave. I want this, I want you forever." Her fingers lifted to the top button of her blouse and nimbly her fingers popped the first button and then the second. "In every way."

A deep growl escaped the back of his throat as he pulled her down onto his lap. The evidence of his need for her coming up to meet her. "Are you sure? I don't want to rush things."

"I've wanted this since run," Rose whispered as she reached a hand down and palmed his tented jeans.

The Doctor hissed and rolled her onto her back to straddled her hips. "Me too, my Rose, me too." He attacked the skin revealed by those newly opened buttons. Clumsily he managed to undo the rest of them and relieved her of her shirt and bra. Somehow his t-shirt had joined her discarded clothing on the floor. "Beautiful." He managed to say as his mouth covered one of her pert nipples. The other breast was not neglected as kneaded and massaged it.

Arching up Rose ground her hips into his. "Need you, please my Doctor. Need you inside me." She begged and he reluctantly left her breasts to undo his trousers. Momentarily he rolled off of her as he toed off his trainers and divested himself of his remaining clothing. Rose had done the same and was now lying propped up on her elbows, gloriously naked.

"Doctor," she said softly, sounding suddenly shy.

"Hmm," he hummed distractedly as his eyes raked up and down her body, memorizing every curve.

"It's been a while for me." She shifted under his gaze and his eyes shot up to meet hers. "There hasn't been anyone. Not since I met you. A bit out of practice, me."

In a heartbeat he had pounced on her. His erection hard was as hard as steel against her stomach. "Oh Rose, it's been centuries for me. Not that I haven't wanted to...with you. Only you, Rose" His teeth nipped at her earlobe eliciting a moan from her.

"Please, Doctor. No more teasing," Rose said breathily. On top of her, he moved to position himself at her entrance. With only a moment's hesitancy he slipped inside her. A sigh of contentment and homecoming escaped his lips as he stilled to let her adjust to him. Then they were moving together, creating a rhythm. Pushing and pulling in an intricate dance. Soon, tension built in the pit of his stomach.

"Oh, God, Doctor," Rose cried as she tumbled over the brink. Her name was on his lips as he followed her into ecstasy. Moments later, he collapsed onto the bed next to her, and Rose snuggled into his side.

The Doctor shut his eyes, savoring this moment and hoping they would be doing that again very soon.


	7. Chapter 7

  
Rose sat on the edge of a lounge chair, on the back veranda of the bungalow. She was only wearing her dressing gown and that wasn't covering much. Not that it would matter once the man taking a shower was done. Staring out over the setting sun and reflected on her slightly aching muscles. Those particular muscles hadn't had much use in the past few years. But the events of today might just change that.

And what a life changing day it had been, so far. When she had woken up this morning, the only thing she really had wanted to do was survive the day. Now she wanted to savor every moment of it.

"Penny for your thoughts?" The Doctor came up to sit behind her. His long legs straddled her and his arms wrapped around her waist.

"Just thinking about you and how glad I am you tracked me down," Rose said as she leaned back into him.

"Me too, very glad," he mumbled as his mouth found the pulse point on her neck. The things that man could do with his tongue made her take back everything bad she had ever said about his oral fixation.

"If you keep doing that, love, neither one of us will be decent when room service arrives. And after all that physical exertion, we need to refuel." To her slight disappointment he pulled back and planted a kiss in her hair. Thankfully he made no more attempt to move away. Instead he let his fingers draw random patterns across exposed expanses of her skin. "We don't have to start over now do we?" Her voice was soft as she questioned him..

"Start what over?" He sounded slightly confused.

Rose gave a soft laugh. "The whole four months of no contact? Because I'm not sure that I could do that. Especially now."

"Ah no." His lips began exploring her neck again. "I think that was the wrong approach," he whispered against her ear. "Time Lords were stodgy, uptight and hated physical contact. So for them respect meant no touching and definitely no flirting."

Rose turned slightly to look back at him. She took a moment to enjoy the fact that the only piece of clothing he had put back on were his pants. "Sounds like you were doing a bang up job then."

His fingertips came up to lightly brush her cheek. "I did, didn't I? I did such a great job that you thought I didn't love or want you. And I do, Rose. I've always wanted you and I will always want you."

"I love you too." Rose assured him.

He gave her a great big beaming smile. "Rest assured, I won't be making the same mistakes again. Besides, I do believe there is another, much more pleasurable way to show you respect."

"Oh and what might that be Doctor." She shivered as his hands ghosted her sides.

"I think worshiping you as my Goddess Fortuna would be a good start." The Doctor leaned back and hauled her up his body. His hands slipped under her dressing gown.

"So your new definition of respect is shagging?" She sniggered.

"No, that's not what I'm saying. Ok so some shagging but it's more like making love. Oh yes, lots of that. But also flirting, handholding, hugging and letting the world know that you are mine and that I'm yours." Gently he placed another kiss on her lips. Her breath caught in her throat. He couldn't be thinking about… It was too soon. "Not that," he murmured as if he'd read her mind. "At least not yet. I just meant acting like a proper boyfriend. You know dates, dancing, dinner and plenty of other words that I'm sure don't start with d. Then after a while, the other thing that you thinking I meant. If you want to."

"Oh I want to," Rose said smiling. "And I would like it very much if you would show me lots of respect. I'm sure I could show you some too you know."

"That sounds good." He was breathing heavily now. It was getting darker, since that the sun had fully dipped below the horizon. Her mind was wandering to all the things the wicked things they could get away with doing out here. A knock at the door sobered her thoughts. She reluctantly slid off the Doctor and he groaned.

As she padded across the room, she readjusted her dressing gown and made sure that everything was covered. She opened the door and stepped aside as the porter pushed the cart into the room. The man made a big display of popping the champagne cork and pouring two glasses before handing her the bill to sign. Rose tipped him well and then ushered the man out of the room.

"Champagne?" The Doctor entered the room, still almost naked. "Are we celebrating something?"

"As a matter of fact we are,." Rose said handing him one of the flutes. "I figured that, well, we really don't need to go back to London anytime soon… And I have a ridiculous amount of money put away in case of emergencies…"

The Doctor cocked an eyebrow. "And…"

"Maybe you and I could travel for a while." Rose nestled into his side. "The Doctor and Rose Tyler off having adventures, as it should be."

"And shagging?" He wiggled his eyebrows.

"That too."

"Sounds brilliant." He raised his glass. "To a whole new life…together."

"Together." She agreed.  



End file.
